The events we witnessed on London's streets this past Saturday represent a deeply troubling moment in our nation's political landscape. The sight of over 100,000 people marching under the banner of far-right activism, with inflammatory rhetoric calling for the dissolution of Parliament, should concern all who value democratic institutions and social cohesion.
However, as we grapple with these disturbing scenes, we must resist the temptation to dismiss every individual who participated as simply racist or extremist. They are not! While there are undoubtedly those with such views within these movements, many of the people on those streets, could be, are, our own members - working people who feel abandoned by the political establishment and are desperately seeking someone, anyone, who will listen to their concerns.
The harsh reality is that significant numbers of trade union members are among those feeling disillusioned with traditional political parties. When people feel their voices aren't being heard by Labour, Conservative, or Liberal Democrat politicians, they become vulnerable to the simplistic solutions offered by movements like Reform UK and others on the political margins.
This presents us with both a challenge and an opportunity. Rather than writing off these members or condemning them wholesale, we must ask ourselves: what are we doing to address their legitimate concerns? How are we providing the leadership, guidance, and political voice they're seeking?
Working people across this country are facing real hardships - stagnant wages, housing insecurity, declining public services, and uncertainty about the future. When mainstream politics fails to offer credible solutions, it creates a vacuum that extremist movements are all too ready to fill.
Our role as trade union activists and leaders is not to lecture our members about who they should or shouldn't support, but to demonstrate through our actions that we understand their struggles and are fighting effectively for their interests. We must provide the economic analysis, political leadership, and collective action that addresses the root causes of their frustration, rather than allowing that anger to be channelled toward scapegoating and division.
The path forward requires us to engage honestly with our members' concerns while firmly rejecting the politics of hatred and division. We must show that solidarity, not scapegoating, is the answer to working people's problems. We must prove that collective action through democratic institutions, not the dissolution of Parliament, is how we build a fairer society.
These are worrying times, but they are also times that demand clear leadership from the labour and trade union movement. We cannot afford to lose working people to the false promises of the far-right. Our members deserve better - and it's our job to deliver it.
Alan Irwin
Branch Secretary,
This presents us with both a challenge and an opportunity. Rather than writing off these members or condemning them wholesale, we must ask ourselves: what are we doing to address their legitimate concerns? How are we providing the leadership, guidance, and political voice they're seeking?
Working people across this country are facing real hardships - stagnant wages, housing insecurity, declining public services, and uncertainty about the future. When mainstream politics fails to offer credible solutions, it creates a vacuum that extremist movements are all too ready to fill.
Our role as trade union activists and leaders is not to lecture our members about who they should or shouldn't support, but to demonstrate through our actions that we understand their struggles and are fighting effectively for their interests. We must provide the economic analysis, political leadership, and collective action that addresses the root causes of their frustration, rather than allowing that anger to be channelled toward scapegoating and division.
The path forward requires us to engage honestly with our members' concerns while firmly rejecting the politics of hatred and division. We must show that solidarity, not scapegoating, is the answer to working people's problems. We must prove that collective action through democratic institutions, not the dissolution of Parliament, is how we build a fairer society.
These are worrying times, but they are also times that demand clear leadership from the labour and trade union movement. We cannot afford to lose working people to the false promises of the far-right. Our members deserve better - and it's our job to deliver it.
Alan Irwin
Branch Secretary,
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